Feed hopper



April 4, 1961 F. J. LUPO FEEDHOPPER Filed Jan. 16, 1959 FIG. 3

R m mu m m J z m. T J I FIIILJ .m a, 4 4 /\w 4 a O R 6 flu M I 2 FIE m 2 F 2 ATTORNEYS 2,978,230 'FEED HOPPER Filed Jan. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 787,250

'3 Claims. (Cl. 259-30) This invention relates to a feed hopper for small parts. In recent years the problem of feeding small parts to machines for introduction into a production item'has been met with a variety of solutions, none of which has been deal. In feeding these parts out of a hopper, frequently onditions arise where the parts are jammed at some place along the feed line or where the call for the parts s reduced by shutting down of the line or slowing down the line so that the parts are coming out faster than y are needed. One solution to this problem has been rovision of a clutch on the drive shaft of the rotathopper which will absorb the motion in the event mming. Another problem has been a proper drive for the rog hopper which would insure a proper speed without ring an expensive motor.

is an object of the present invention to provide a ple drive mechanism for a rotating feed hopper utiliza slow moving V-belt arrangement, this being an tation of a V-belt which is contrary to the practice ,the art of requiring a V-belt to be operating at a high ed in order to carry a load. The V-belt is used not my as a drive but also at the slow speed at which it is perated it can function as a safety clutch for. the sse'mbly.

ther objects and features of the invention relating .the balance and adjustability of the device and the V mpactness of the arrangement of parts will be apparent rtthe following description and claims. l 1 Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as:

Figure l, a side elevation of the assembled device.

Figure 2, a sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3, a partial front elevation showing a portion in section to reveal the belt.

Referring to the drawings, a base 10, having suitable mounting flanges 12, has upstanding and depending vertical pivoting portions 14 with a platform 16, connected by a pivot screw 18. On the platform 16, above and offset from the pivot, is an electric motor 20 operatively connected to a reduction gear unit 22, having an output shaft on which is mounted a pulley hub 26 and pulley 28. .The platform 16 has a riser wall 30 on which is mounted a lifting handle 32 (Figure 1).

On the wall 30 a cantilever stub shaft 34 is solidly anchored by a screw 36 extending in a direction away from the motor and speed reducer. On the end of this stub shaft is a stationary center guard shell or plate 38 held in place by a screw 40. Rotatably mounted on the stub shaft 34 is a housing body 42, bearing races 44 and 46 serving to mount the housing. A secondary hopper housing base 48 is screwed to the body 42 by screws 50 and the hopper shell 52 is suitably mounted on the base 48 with an opening 54. The hopper housing, load, and center plate balance the motor because of the relative positioning on platform 16. The facilities and design within the hopper and on the hopper shell 38 are stand- States atent Patented Apr. 4, 1951 ard to permit the picking up of small parts and orientation in any manner desired into a feed track.

The rear end of housing 42 is formed with a V-belt groove 56 in direct radial alignment with the pulley 28, and a V-belt 60 is connected around these pulleys. A

a suitable pulley guard 62 is provided in a manner to encircle the rotating body portion 42.

In the feeding of parts, the motor 20 is preferably operated at a range from 1,725 r.p.m. to 1,800 r.p.m. and the speed reducer is designed to reduce the speed of the pulley 28 to about a range of 29 r.p.m. to 30 r.p.m. The pulley ratio is such that the hopper will then rotate at about a range from 11.6 r.p.m. to 12.00 r.p.m. It has been found that despite this rather slow speed the hopper works with an effective power transfer through the belt, and it has a decided advantage that due to the slow speed operation the belt will slip if there is any jamming force on the parts being fed, the small pulley 28 simply rotating with the belt stationary until the force is removed after which the machine proceeds normally without damage to the belt.

I claim:

1. A feed hopper apparatus for the orientation and distribution of small parts which comprises a base and adjustable platform on said base afi'ixed thereto by a horizontal pivot, said platform being movable to a plurality of positions, a motor and speed reducer mounted on said platform, said motor operatively connected with said speed reducer and having a projecting drive shaft, a hub and pulley mounted on said drive shaft, a riser wall on said platform adjacent said motor having a carrying handle associated therewith, a stub shaft on said riser wall projecting at right angles thereto, a stationary center plate mounted on the end of said stub shaft, a hopper body rotatably mounted on said stub shaft behind said plate, said body encircling said plate and being rotatable around said plate, said body having formed therein a pulley groove aligned radially with the pulley on said drive shaft, and a V-belt surrounding said pulley groove and pulley adapted to rotate at a slow speed of about 12 r.p.m.

2. A feed hopper for orientation and distribution of small parts comprising a base member, a platform member mounted on a horizontal pivot line for adjustment relative to said base member, an electric motor and speed reducer mounted on said platform at a point spaced and offset from said pivot line of said base, means operatively connecting said motor and said speed reducer, said speed reducer having an output shaft projecting toward said pivot line from said motor, a riser wall on said platform between said motor and said pivot line, a stub shaft on said riser wall projecting away from said motor, a stationary center plate for said hopper mounted on the end of said stub shaft, a hopper body rotatably mounted on said stub shaft, bearing means for associating said hopper body and said stub shaft, said body extending out and around said stationary plate, a pulley means on said speed reducer output shaft positioned opposite said hopper body and a pulley means on said body radially aligned with said pulley means on said speed reducer output shaft, and a belt means connecting said pulley means adapted to operate at'a relatively slow speed to transmit power between said motor and said hopper body end to permit slippage in the event of jamming of said body, said body portion projecting from said platform in a direction opposite to that of the motor and on the other side of the pivot line from said motor.

3. A feed hopper for orientation and distribution of small parts comprising a base member having an upstanding, vertical pivot plate and a horizontal pivot on said plate, a platform member having a depending vertical counterbalance relation to said motor and speed reducer, 10 2360598 an output shaft and pulley means on said speed reducer spaced from and parallel to said stub shaft, a pulley means on said hopper body, and combined drive and clutch means comprising a belt connecting said pulley 5 means to be operated at very slow speed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Loesche Nov. 18, 1958 

